Pliskova withdraws from Czech team for Fed Cup final

Pliskova lost to Sloane Stephens in the semi-finals at the WTA Finals in Singapore

Karolina Pliskova has pulled out of the Czech Republic’s Fed Cup final against the United States with a torn calf muscle.

Pliskova, 26, was injured at the WTA Finals and will be replaced by world doubles number one Barbora Krejcikova.

Pliskova, the world number eight, said she was “terribly sorry” to miss the final, which starts on 10 November.

The United States team is already missing Serena and Venus Williams and WTA Finals runner-up Sloane Stephens.

Pliskova said: “Our team is so strong that the girls will replace me.”

The Czechs have also called up seventh-ranked Petra Kvitova, 33rd-ranked Barbora Strycova and 31st-ranked Katerina Siniakova, who is Krejcikova’s doubles partner and fellow doubles world number one.

The final involves the two most successful nations in Fed Cup history – the USA with 18 trophies and the Czech Republic with 10, including five as part of the former Czechoslovakia. It will be played on the hardcourt of the 15,000-capacity O2 Arena in Prague.

US captain Kathy Rinaldi has called on world number 35 Danielle Collins, 48th-ranked Sofia Kenin and 15th-ranked doubles player Nicole Melichar – each making their Fed Cup debuts.

Alison Riske, ranked 63rd in the world, will also make the trip to Prague for the two-day final as the US bid to defend their title.